Former France captain Didier Deschamps will take over as coach of title contenders Olympique Marseille next season, the Ligue 1 club has announced.

Captain of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning France teams, Deschamps will take over from Belgian Eric Gerets, who previously revealed he was stepping down at the end of the season.

Marseille, currently top of the Ligue 1 standings with four matches remaining, confirmed on their website that the coach has agreed a two-year contract. "A meeting between the club's president and its major shareholder last Friday confirmed this choice. After Eric Gerets, Marseille could only set their sights on a top coach. The choice of Didier Deschamps, whose playing and coaching career speak for him, was a natural one."

The 40-year-old Deschamps won the 1993 Champions League as a player with Marseille before going on to enjoy success with Juventus in Italy and Chelsea. As a coach, he led Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final and helped Juventus win promotion back to Serie A in the 2006/07 season.